Living with the Zaoldyecks
by xXSaSuHiNaXx
Summary: Just like the title suggests, this is about Hinata living with the Zaoldyecks.
1. Warmth

Storm clouds rolled in, covering the sun. Fierce winds blew, shaking the trees and blowing the leaves. Little four year old Hinata shivered, tiny drops of rain falling on her, soaking her clothes and hair. She hugged herself tightly, her eyes shutting closed as she sat down on her bottom and bent her knees towards herself.

It was pouring now, the drops of rain hitting her figure hard while the icy wind bit her skin. The trees did nothing to shield her from the harsh rain. She sniffed, quivering. She was freezing now.

The rain stopped its attack and Hinata looked up to see the cause of it. She blinked, her lilac eyes staring into rich sapphire ones.

Killua forced a smile and sat beside her, his left hand holding up a black umbrella while his right incircled her neck and he snuggled with her.

Hinata was confused, but didn't say anything. Instead, she sighed as warmth filled her and she wrapped her arms around her brother's torso.

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**I decided to make this to let out my frustrations, even if a little. With my laptop gone, my stories yet to be updated, everything that's going on in my life, and the fact that I still have some work to do, I made this to help me. It's sorta a way for me to expression myself... If you'd call it that. This is all just for fun, so don't expect this to have a rich plot and regular updates. It's pretty random. I will update it, but it probably won't be quite frequent.**

**My next update should be pretty soon, though. I've already got a few chapters done, since it's so short, but I'm not gonna update all of it at once. I'm taking a little break from my enormous (though I don't think that they are THAT huge) chapters, as you can tell. I wanna try a story with short chapters.**

**This is actually a lot of fun. :)**


	2. Alluka

Chapter 2: Alluka

"It's your turn to watch over Alluka," Kikyo said.

Hinata took the bundle her 'mother' handed to her. Kikyo gave her a warning look before vanishing with her brother, Kalluto.

The baby laughed in her arms and Hinata looked down at the chubby little infant, blinking at it. She didn't know much of what to do with a baby. How was she supposed to take care of it?

Her confusion turned into affection when Alluka's small hands pressed against the girl's cheeks. Hinata smiled and hugged Alluka, pressing the baby protectively and carefully to her.

"Don't worry, I'll always be here for you!"

Alluka giggled in reply and tugged at the blunette's strands.

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**Chapter 2 here! See, told you it wouldn't take long. :) Alluka makes an appearance in this, too! :D I just love Alluka, he/she is so adorable. :3**

**So what did you think of this short chapter? I found it cute, how 'bout you? Review and tell me what you thought.**


	3. Electricity

Chapter 3: Electricity

Little Hinata walked down the cold, stone halls behind her older brother. Illumi stopped abruptly and Hinata almost hit him. She peered over boy's right and blinked, looking at the metal doors questioningly.

Illumi caught her sight and opened the doors, letting her see inside of it. "You're finally old enough for electricity training. This is the room you'll be coming to every morning from now on."

He walked inside the room and gestured towards the metal cuffs that hung against the walls. Hinata furrowed her eyesbrows and slowly looked around. She trembled, not liking it there one bit.

"Come," Illumi ordered, his tone suggesting no protests.

Hinata nodded her head hesitantly and walked over to the handcuffs, then raised her hands up and let her brother fasten her hands to the cuffs.

A second later, blue-ish white energy hit her body and she screamed. Her anguished cries echoed through the room, though no one but Illumi could hear them.

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**Here's chapter three. I'm sorry Hinata, I'm being so cruel to you. Please forgive me, but it is probably the treatment that you'd get if you lived with them. TT^TT Next chapter won't be as harsh, I promise!**


	4. Kalluto

Chapter 4: Kalluto

Hinata peeked into her little brother's room curiously. Her mother, Kikyo, had gone out of the room to grab some things for Kalluto. Hinata took this time to take a better look at her new little brother.

The boy lay in his purple-colored crib silently, too silently for any normal baby. Hinata looked around the hall, making sure that no one was around. She stepped into the room and walked over to her brother's crib.

"Hello there, Kalluto-chan. I'm Hinata, your big sister," Hinata said with a small smile.

Kalluto turned to the girl sleepily and blinked up at her, but other than that didn't do anything else. Hinata reached into the crib and rubbed her fingers gently on the boy's cheek.

He gripped her fingers in his tiny ones and smiled.

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**So here's chapter 4! Isn't this just cute? Review and tell me what you think. Oh, and Happy New Years everyone!**


	5. Computer

Chapter 5: Computer

Hinata tip-toed silently to Milluki's room. She flinched when the door squeaked and looked around to see if anyone had heard. She smiled when she saw no one.

Milluki was out with Illumi and Grandfather so he wouldn't be in his room for a while. She grinned and slipped into the boy's room. Her eyes widened in awe at the sight and she ran over to where she saw screens on a big desk.

Hinata jumped up onto the desk chair carefully and looked at all the buttons intently. She 'ooh'ed and clicked on one of the red buttons. The buttom glowed green and soon the screen that the button was connected to turned on, startling the girl.

Hinata flailed her arms around and quickly tried to get her balance back. She gave a big sigh of relief when she caught her bearings, then looked up at the glowing screen. The words 'Loading...' flashed at the bottom middle of the screen. Then, to Hinata's awe and curiosity, the image changed and she saw a busty woman wearing a cat maid costume in a small box and below it, something that read 'enter password'.

And the girl's fun begun.

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**It's now officially 2014! Good bye 2013, I'd say that it was an awesome year, but then I'd be lying. So much cra... things have happened that year that it's probably one of my worst years. Maybe not the worst, but one of them. So what are your goals for this year? I don't really have any this year. :/ **


	6. Poison

Chapter 6: Poison

Hinata sat at the kitchen table. She eyed the glass of water that sat innocent in front of her.

"Don't worry, you won't die from it. I only put a small amount of poison in there," Illumi stated. "This will also serve as pain-resistance training."

Hinata looked over her shoulder at her older brother, her eyes shining in doubt and fear. Illumi just stared blankly at her, waiting patiently for her to drink the poisoned liquid. She gulped and looked back down at the glass. Hesitantly, the girl brought the rim to her mouth and swallowed most of it down in one gulp.

Hinata fell off of her chair and hit the ground, hard. She choked, her body trembling in misery. Pain hit her body hard like a wrecking ball and she fought to not cry out.

In front of her, Illumi stood stoically, his arms crossed over his chest as he observed her.

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**Oh my gosh, someone actually favorite this story! :D Oh, and to those two reviews I got, I know I didn't do this earlier, which I should have, but thank you so much! Never thought that anyone would review or favorite this. Didn't even think anyone would like it. So thank you! :)**


	7. Disappointment

Chapter 7: Disappointment

Hinata huffed, falling to her knees. Her father stood in front of her, towering over her small form.

"You're no good," he spat out.

She whimpered, her body trembled. Something hit her back with tremendous force and forced her to the ground, hard. She gasped, her breath taken away. She heard a couple of cracks and knew that Silva had broken a couple of her ribs.

"You're a disappointment."

And he left.

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**Oh gosh, I'm being so cruel to Hinata. I'm so sorry! I can't promise that the next chapter will be easier, but you won't be abused! Maybe traumatized, but not abused. But I think the chapter after that is much better. I'm sure I made it a little more cheery. I think.**


	8. First Mission

Chapter 8: First Mission

Hinata stared down at the ground from the top of one of the biggest buildings in the city. Down below was her target, Hirai Tokoyama. He was a wealthy businessman who many were jealous and wanted dead. One of them, was Hinata's employer.

"Be silent. Suppress your bloodlust. Only when you're about to attack do you let it out. Don't let them spot you."

Illumi's monotone voice echoed loud in her ears. She nodded and gripped her shirt a few centimeters from her heart. Her heart beat loud in her chest and the adrenaline pumped through her vains. She took a deep breath, calming herself.

With the go ahead, Hinata jumped off and prepared her nails for attack. Her prey didn't even see it coming. In the blink of an eye, Hinata's claws were out and the man was on the ground bleeding.

His two bodyguards turned to her and gasped. They quickly took out their weapons but Hinata didn't wait for them, she struck before they could make a move. Her claws tore through fabric and skin, the red juice of life splat onto the ground and onto her face. They didn't even have time to cry out. The two fell to the ground, dead.

"You did well," came Illumi's monotone voice behind her.

Hinata nodded stoicly, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

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**So here's another chapter. I couldn't go to sleep, so I decided to write this to pass the time. I'm so tired, yet I just can't go to sleep... *sigh* Well, good night everyone. Or good morning/evening depending on where you are.**


	9. Nen

Chapter 9: Nen

Hinata fidgeted quietly in her seat. Her father, eldest brother, mother and grandfather were in the room, eying her critically. She gulped, trying hard not to shrink into herself. She was extremely nervous. This was apparently an important day for her. Even more important than her first mission or first day of training.

Silva, her father, walked up to Hinata and knelt beside her. His large, strong hand gripped her shoulder tightly, yet strangely tenderly. His face was stony as always, though if Hinata looked hard enough, there was slight worry and... pride?

"Today we're gonna open up your tenketsus so that you can use _Nen. _It won't hurt... much. Not even Killua has gone through this yet. When Milluki and Illumi went through this, they were twice your age. If you're able to open them up no problem, you'll be the youngest to unlock it."

Hinata bit her lower lip at her father's words. It wasn't hard to tell that this was going to be extremely hard and... maybe even painful. If even Illumi, who was almost the perfect assassin, couldn't do it at age five, then she didn't have much of a chance.

_'No!' _Hinata forced the negative thoughts to the back of her head. If she completed this without much trouble, then she'd be the youngest Zaoldyeck to have ever unlocked _Nen. _She'd be able to make her family proud.

"Get ready," her father warned.

Hinata nodded her head and braced herself. She felt her father stand and walk behind her. Something cold and slimy appeared at the small of her back and she resisted the urge to shiver. The feeling slowly intensified until it felt like something was trying to burn her whole body and she bit back a scream.

"Alright, I've opened up your tenketsus. From here on you'll have to continue on your own."

Hinata eyes shot open in panic. On her own? She couldn't possible be able to do this on her own!

"Don't panic. Slowly close your eyes."

The blunette nodded mentally and did as her father told her. Her eyelids slowly dropped, the light in the room vanishing. She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

"Good. Now imagine yourself shrouded with energy," Silva instructed.

Hinata gave a small nod and imagined her body in the midst of darkness, her small figure letting out so much energy that it covered her whole body.

"Now force that energy back into yourself," came her father's voice.

Hinata whimpered in pain as she fought her aura, forcing it inside of her.

"Slowly or you'll kill yourself."

The blunette almost choked on her own saliva at the thought of dying. She took a deep, calming breath and let it out. Her senses eased and her body relaxed. She imaged the energy shrouding her body slowly coming back inside of her. It wasn't as hard and painful this time. The grimy energy embraced her small figure and she gave a sigh.

It felt kinda... nice. A little weird, but nice.

"Now slowly open your eyes and take a look," Silva said.

Hinata did as he said. Her eyelids slowly rose and the light in the room hit her eyes. It hurt a little, but she ignored the pain. Instead, she looked down at her hands and her eyes widened. Aura glowed around her hands in the color of lavender. It was a little bit wild, but was still controlled.

"Congratulations, you've successfully opened your aura nods," Silva praised, giving a brief clap in congratulations along with the others.

Hinata grinned up at her father and wound her tiny arms around his right thigh. She didn't care that Silva frowned upon being hugged. She was too happy to care. "I did it!"

Silva, who, though didn't look too comfortable with the warm action, forced a smile on his face and patted her head. He figured that this one time it was alright. After all, his only daughter was able to unlock _Nen_ even before he was.

"You did well."

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**Wow is this chapter long... *sigh* So much for making the chapters short... At least it is less than a thousand word! :/ I really suck at making short chapters. I'm gonna have to work on it. Unless you guys actually like it when the chapters are this long?**


	10. Pat

Chapter 10: Pat

Hinata panted heavily. In front of her stood her brother and trainer, Illumi.

"You'll be punished if you don't even touch me in the next minute," Illumi warned.

Hinata flinched, but quickly recovered and charged at her brother. With renewed determination, she thrust her palm out and concentrated her aura to her palm. Her palm just grazed his thigh before he moved away and she stumbled to the ground.

Hinata tensed, waiting for her punishment. She felt a hand on top of her head and opened her eyes, blinking at her older brother. He continued to pat her for another second before letting go of her head.

"You hit me," he stated, monotone.

* * *

**Yay, I got another person who both favorite my story and followed it. :D I'm so happy. And because of that, I made this chapter for you! It's a lot shorter than the last chapter, but much sweeter. I think... I hope you guys enjoyed it.**


	11. Protector

Chapter 11: Protector

Hinata stood stoically in her father's room. She bit her lower lip and resisted the urge to tremble in front of the powerful man.

Her father gave her a small, secretive smile and ushered her to come sit beside him. Hinata nodded meekly and walked over to the man. She climbed onto his bed and sat back, looking up at her father.

"I'm sure you already know this but, you are different," the man begun.

Hinata nodded her head slowly, unsurely. She knew it, it wasn't really hard to tell. She wasn't like the family, quite the opposite actually.

Silva's smile widened and he put a strong hand onto her shoulders. "That doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing."

Hinata cocked her head to the side.

"You are different for a reason. And that reason is so you can protect my heir. So you can protect Killua," he said.

"P... protect aniki?" Hinata repeated.

"That's right," he nodded. "Your job is to look after Killua. That is why your training started much earlier than Killua's. You must be strong so that you can protect him."

For the first time in a long time, Hinata smiled in front of her father.

To protect Killua, she liked that.

* * *

**I really should be doing my homework but I just can't help it. I'm too stressed out to do my work. :( In two weeks I have final exams, too. So I have to really study. Doesn't help that I've been sick for two weeks before the Christmas break and still have work to catch up on from there, plus I have a couple more of assignments that'll be worth a lot. I'm even failing in Language, which is kinda ironic if you think about it... :/ I just hope that I'll be able to quickly catch up and pass. Thanks to this, I'm feeling a little better. :)**


	12. Caught

Chapter 12: Caught

Hinata tip-toed sneakily up to Killua's door. Her brother was on another mission, so he wouldn't be back for a while. It was the perfect time to sneak into his room.

Hinata opened the door carefully and quickly walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She beamed at her accomplishment and quickly walked over to where she knew Killua's joystation was.

She sat down and turned on the JS and the tv, then put in a game and grabbed the remote. The game menu flashed on and she clicked 'New Game'. After putting a fake name in (she didn't want Killua to find out about this when he came back) she pressed play.

Hinata skipped the story and picked a female character she thought looked cool. It was a fighting game so she had to fight. Hinata, who had never played this game before, struggled. Her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth and her eyebrows were knitted in concentration. She pressed random buttons, trying to defeat her enemy and see what the buttons did.

'Game over' flashed on the screen and Hinata grumbled. Not ready to give up, and feeling like she was starting to get the hang of it, Hinata pressed 'retry'. 'Level 1' flashed onto the screen and soon her enemy popped out. Now that she knew what the buttons did and knew a little about her opponent, she fought much better.

Level one came easier for her and she beat it no problem. The next few levels weren't as hard, either. She raised through the levels, feeling pride swell up inside her.

She was so engrossed in the game that she never noticed someone coming in. It was only when he coughed that she brought herself back to reality. But by then, it was too late.

"Caught you," came Killua's voice.

* * *

**So here's chapter 12. Hope you guys enjoy it, if anyone's even reading this.**


	13. Promise

Chapter 13: Promise

"Aniki! Aniki!"

Hinata grinned when she saw Killua. She spread her arms out and glomped her older brother, catching him by surprise.

"Hinata?" he yelled, startled.

The girl giggled in reply and he grinned, twirling her 'round and round. The two laughed happily before falling onto the ground. Hinata gave a cry of surprise and rolled off of her brother.

The two looked at each other and grinned, laughing some more.

Hinata stopped abruptly and stood up, confusing Killua. She put one of her hands on her hips and the other stretched out to Killua, her pinky extended.

"Aniki is the only man for me!"

"Huh?" Killua raised his eyebrow in confusion.

Hinata knelt beside her older brother and stuck her pinky finger at his face. "I-I've decided. Aniki is the one I'll marry. I promise!"

Killua blinked, his face heating up and turning a lovely shade of red. He scoffed and turned around, and crossed his hands over his chest. "Do you even know what you're promising?"

Hinata looked downcast. Her hand dropped and she looked at the ground sadly. "D... do you not like me?" she asked.

Killua choked and quickly shook his head. "W-Wait, no. That's not what I meant! I mean..."

Hinata looked up at her brother and blinked. She opened her mouth and said, "Th-Then what did you mean?"

The boy sighed and scratched the back of his head, looking at anything but her. "Well... it's just that you can't promise something like that. You have to really love the person to marry them."

"Does aniki not love me...?" Hinata asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.

"Well, yeah. I mean I do love you. But..."

Hinata grinned; "So what's the matter?"

"But you have to love me!" Killua almost yelled.

Hinata blinked and looked at him dumbly. She smiled and took hold of her brother's hand, looking deeply into his eyes. "I love aniki with all my heart. I want to marry aniki in the future! If I marry aniki, I'll always be able to stay with you."

Killua's blush deepened and he sighed, before a smile etched onto his face and he gave a gentle squeeze to her hands. "Alright, you win. I'll marry you and we'll always be together!"

"Promise me," Hinata said, letting go of his hands and extending her pinky.

He smiled and intertwined his pinky with her, sealing the promise.

"I promise."

* * *

**I'm so happy right now. :3 Thank you KoreanGal5 for the review, I loved hearing that you liked this story. It brought a huge grin to my face. Oh, and thank you also to this story's new follower. Sorry, I forgot your name... I feel so bad, but I'm too lazy to check. Can you forgive this lazy author?**

**Anyway, here's an especially cute chapter for you two. I had a lot of fun writing it and couldn't help but squeal throughout it. Haha, the minds of little kids. They don't even realize fully what they're promising each other. But that's what makes them all the cuter! :3**

**I hope this chapter is interesting. I was trying not to have the chapter too long, as it is supposed to be short. So I couldn't quite describe it as well. Hope you guys find it cute like I did. Next chapter I'm gonna go for something humorous. :)**


	14. First Words

Chapter 14: First Words

The Zaoldyecks were said to be cold-blooded monsters who only cared about money and killing. And, though that was quite true, there was more to the Zaoldyecks then meets the eye. If someone were to say that the Zaoldyecks weren't much different from normal people, many, if not all, people would laugh. Truth be told, they weren't much different from normal people. Because deep down, behind their cold exterior, they were much like other parents.

Take the joy parents get at their child's first words for example. When it came to first words, the Zaoldyeck parents were ecstatic about it. So when Illumi was born, the two happy parents made sure to say 'kill', 'papa', 'mama', 'assassin' and such around him.

Seeing how Illumi was, you'd expect his first words to be something like 'kill', or even one of his parents' names. But they weren't. To Silva's disappointment and Kikyo's irritation, Illumi's first word was 'fuck'.

Yes, 'fuck'.

The Zaoldyecks weren't really ones to swear, unless they were angered of course. So when the boy had spoken his first word, the two were understandingly confused. They found out later that when Zeno, Illumi's grandfather, was taking care of him, he had accidentally stepped on a lego.

Yup, a lego.

And that was how Illumi had learned the word 'fuck'.

It was Zeno's fault.

When Milluki was born, they made sure to be extra carefully when speaking with him around. True, the F word wasn't really bad in the Zaoldyecks eyes, and they really didn't have any problems with swearing, but they'd rather have their kids' first words be something more... appropriate. Or something along the lines of 'kill'.

Milluki was a big mama's boy when he was young, not that he wasn't now, too. It wasn't a big surprise when his first word was 'mama'. Kikyo, of course, was ecstatic. Silva, however, was disappointed. What kind of parent wouldn't be if their child's first word wasn't their name?

When Killua was born, Silva was determined to have his next son's, who had white hair and blue eyes like him (yes!), first word to be 'papa' or 'Silva'. To his exasperation, Killua's first word was 'chocho' which, if you deciphered it, would be 'choco', which was short for 'chocolate'.

He almost gave up when Hinata's first word was 'ani', which was short for 'aniki'. So, instead of her first word being about Silva, it was about Killua (DAMMIT!).

Thinking that this time for sure his name or role would be spoken, Silva locked himself in his room for three days when he found that Alluka's first word was 'Kiwu'. Alluka, of course, was trying to say 'Killua'.

He lost it when Kalluto's first word was 'Hanawa', which the boy was trying to say 'Hinata'.

* * *

**Haha, I just love this chapter. I found it hilarious. Just writing it was hard because I couldn't stop laughing all throughout it. Although, it didn't turn out as good as I imagined it, but I think that it's still alright. What do you guys think? Did it make you laugh?**


	15. Birthday (part 1)

Chapter 15: Birthday (part 1)

Hinata grinned down at her two siblings, Alluka and Kalluto. Alluka grinned back up at Hinata, though Kalluto gave a small smile as he tried to hide his nervousness. This was the first time that he was included in the activities of his siblings. Well, the first time he was included when Alluka was a member of the activities. Killua preferred him not to have him around him and Alluka when they played for whatever reason.

"So you guys ready?" Hinata asked.

The two nodded back.

It was six in the morning right now and Killua would be waking up at about 7-8 a.m. That was his usual wake up time when he didn't have any missions or training. That gave them plenty of time to prepare.

You see, today was Killua's birthday, the day he turned six years old. The three youngest siblings wanted to make it as special as possible. The other family members were getting the food ready and wrapping their presents for him. Since they weren't old enough to help in the kitchen, they decided to decorate. That was the job that they asked for.

Contrary to popular belief, the Zaoldyecks did indeed celebrate birthdays. It was only when they reached the age of thirteen that they didn't anymore. Because at that age it'd be considered childish to do so. So until then, birthdays were celebrated.

The three youngest Zaoldyecks opened the door to the living room in which the small party would take place. They walked over to the table where the decorations they'd use sat. The three grinned at all the ribbons and posters and began picking them up and examining them, telling each other what they thought of them.

"Alright you two. Are you ready?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah!" the two cheered.

"Okay, time to start decorating!" Hinata pumped her fist into the air and the two mimicked her. "We're gonna make this the best birthday Aniki has ever had!"

"Yeah!" came the two's shouts of agreement.

And so, the three began decorating the room. And when they came across something that they didn't like, they'd either throw it away or add to it to make it better. Nothing could ruin this birthday!

* * *

Killua moaned as he stirred. He sat up from on his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. His mouth forced open against his will and he gave a big yawn, with his hand moving over to his mouth to cover it. He blinked a few times to further get used to the lighting in the room and turned his small head to his left. His eyes trailed over to his alarm clock and read, in big red bold letters, '6:27' am.

He groaned and reluctantly pulled his feet out of bed. The bottom of his feet rubbed against the smooth, cold stone of his floor and he gave a small shiver. The boy forced himself off the soft, comfy bed and stood up.

A sudden though entered his head and his lips twitched, the smile that tugged on his lips could not be hidden even if he tried. _I forgot. Today's my birthday. _With that thought crossing his mind, the boy suddenly didn't feel irritated with the early awakening.

Killua's lips curled up into a wide, mischievous grin. His feet stomped lightly on his floor as he ran over to the door, the cold stone no longer a bother to him. He gave a mischievous giggle and opened the door to his room where he ran out. The slamming of the door went unheard to him, his excitement much too high for him to notice such a trivial thing.

_Today's my birthday! Today's my birthday! _Killua chanted in his head. And if he knew his younger siblings like he thought he did, then they would be planning something for him.

_I can't wait to find out what it is!_

* * *

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" Alluka called out.

The younger girlwaved her hand in the air as she called for her favorite and only sister. Hinata stopped amidst hanging up a small banner and turned her head to look curiously at her sister.

"What is it, Alluka-chan?" Hinata asked.

"The ribbons! I can't put them up," Alluka whined, pouting cutely and holding up the big red ribbon in her hands for Hinata to see.

Hinata giggled at the girl, finding her pout cute. She carefully set down the banner in her hands, the silver sparkles on it shining in the light and briefly blinding her. "Alright, I'll be right there."

She walked over to her little sister and looked up at where the girl wanted to hang the ribbon. It was at one of the ends a small banner, which, if she was just a couple of inches taller, she'd be able to reach.

"Come on my shoulders, I'll give you a lift," she told the girl.

Alluka beamed at those words. She pressed her hand to her chest and bounced up and down in place, her grin so big that it was a wonder how it didn't hurt her. "Yay!" she cheered in joy, looking anxious for the ride. It was something that she just adored! Especially when it was her or Killua that did it.

Hinata just chuckled at the girl's behavior and scouched down beside her, turning her body so that her back faced the excited girl. Almost immediately, Hinata felt the girl's weight on her. The blunette gripped Alluka's legs firmly, yet tenderly, and waited for the girl to balance herself.

Alluka right away gripped Hinata's head softly, the red ribbon brushed Hinata's ears and pressed into her soft blue locks. Hinata giggled at the tickling sensation on her ear, but that went unheard over Alluka's loud cheers. "Ready?" Hinata asked, tilting her head up slightly to catch a glimpse of the girl before looking back forward.

Alluka nodded her head vigorously, not that Hinata could really see, and gave another bounce in excitement. "Ready!" she yelled.

Hinata grinned and stood up slowly, carefully, making sure that Alluka remained upright. Although she had, and still was getting, training from Illumi and her father, she was still careful when it came to these things. With how easily Alluka got excited, she had to be careful with how she handled the girl.

Alluka had yet to go through training (which Hinata was grateful for. She knew the girl wouldn't be able to withstand such tortures), so she wouldn't be able to handle most things Hinata, as well as the other, more older members, could handle.

If she hurt her sister or any of her other relatives, even by accident, she wouldn't ever be able to forgive herself. She didn't care whether that made her weak in the eyes of the other members of the family. That was just a part of her that couldn't be changed.

That she didn't want to change.

Hinata walked over to where Alluka wanted to hand her ribbons on with a bounce in her step, knowing that Alluka enjoyed the motion. Alluka laughed from up top of her. The hand which didn't carry anything gripped tightly on to her hair and pulled against her blue locks.

Hinata winced, but didn't give any other indication that it hurt. Compared to her training, this pain should really be nothing to her.

The blunette waited patiently for the girl to finish, standing as still as she could so that it'd be easier for her sister to glue the two ribbons to the piece of water, only moving to go to the other end of the banner. Once Alluka was finished, she bounced happily on Hinata's shoulders, then hugged the older girl.

"Done," Alluka told her.

"Alright," Hinata said.

The blunette carefully lifted the girl off her shoulders and set her down gently on the ground. Alluka turned to Hinata, as her back was facing her, and pouted in disappointment at the ended fun. The pout though morphed into a smile as her hands extended outwards towards Hinata and she wiggled her fingers to indicate that she wanted a hug.

It's what she always did after being lifted. Actually, whenever she could. It was a way for her to show her gratitude for whatever Killua or Hinata did for her. Since she didn't receive much attention from the other members of the family, she loved it when Killua and Hinata were around and played with her. So she'd thank them in a way where she didn't have to say thank you, because she knew that they'd get upset and feel guilty at knowing just how much she appreciated them around.

Hinata smiled down at the younger girl and encircled her arms around her sister's small figure, obliging happily to the girl's silent request and pulling her into an embrace Alluka just loved.

"Aww, you're so cute!" Hinata cooed, petting the top of the girl's head.

Which was true. her sister was an adorable little girl. No doubt would she turn into a real beauty. All Zaoldyecks were good looking, though Hinata found that there was way more to Alluka's beauty. A very unique beauty that you'd only be able to really see if you looked hard enough. A beauty that went much deeper than the eyes could easily see. Hinata was sure that when Alluka was older, she'd only grow in that regard.

Her eyes softened and her grin eased into a sad smile at the thought of Alluka growing older and she deepened the embrace. Alluka gave a soft hum in pleasure and nestled her head deeper into the girl's shoulder.

Hinata promised herself that she would always protect her sister. She'll take all of Alluka's pain so that Alluka won't go through it. She'd train as hard as possible to make sure that Alluka, as well as Kalluto and Killua, won't ever get hurt. She was their guardian, their protector. Even without Father's orders, she'd protect the three of them. That she promised or she'd die trying.

"Thank you," Alluka purred out and pulled away from Hinata.

Hinata pushed the thoughts to the back of her head and grinned down at Alluka. Before the girl could fully pull away, Hinata grabbed her under her armpits and lifted her in the air, twirling her around. "I'm not letting you get away just yet!" she told the girl with a laugh.

Alluka closed her eyes and laughed as she was twirled around, finding it all too thrilling. Hinata set the girl on the ground and helped steady her, as he girl had gotten dizzy from the motion. She waited until Alluka was able to keep her balance before she let go of her and watched the girl run to the table with the decorations to put more up.

Hinata looked back at the banner she had left on one of the small tables in the room when she had gone to help Alluka. Her smile reappeared on her face and she walked towards it. The small movement in her peripheral vision made her halt and she turned to look at what it was.

Kalluto sat beside the big table all alone and stared down blankly at the blue ribbon he had clutched in his hands. He was being quiet, much too quiet for even him and that made Hinata frown in worry. He had been fine not too long ago.

Deciding to check out what was troubling the boy, Hinata made way to him and knelt down beside him. She placed a hand on his small shoulder and her forehead creased when he started at her touch.

"Kalluto-chan, what's wrong?" Hinata asked.

Kalluto quickly composed himself and stared at her blankly, uttering no reply to her but a shake of his head. Hinata's worry grew. When it came to Hinata, the boy was almost always active and talking. To refuse to say anything to even her showed that he was troubled even further than she had first thought.

Hinata forced a smile onto her face. "Come Kalluto-chan. You can tell me," the girl said.

Kalluto's mouth, as well as his brows, twitched as he tried desperately to keep his mask of indifference up. He didn't want her to know. His eyes trailed over to Alluka's cheery form and he frowned, letting his mask down unconsciously.

Hinata turned and looked to where he was staring, wanting to know what was causing his frown. Her eyes spotted Alluka hanging up yet another decoration, unaware of what was happening not too far from her. Realization dawned on Hinata and the feeling of guilt hit her hard in her heart.

Hinata turned away from Alluka and stared down at Kalluto's form. She fought the amused smile from appearing on her face as Kalluto turned back to look at her, his eyes showing how he hoped she was oblivious to the little slip up.

She decided to play dumb, knowing that Kalluto would get more upset if she found out his little secret. "Kalluto-chan, please tell me what's wrong," Hinata asked.

Kalluto thought for a second, before opening his mouth to speak; "I'm fine."

Hinata gave a dramatic sigh and stood up, dusting herself off of the imaginary dust. "Alright then." She gave another dramatic sigh. "And here I wanted to give Kalluto-chan a piggy back ride to cheer him up if he felt troubled. Well, I guess I won't be able to now since Kalluto-chan says there's nothing wrong," she said in fake sadness.

Kalluto perked up at this and grabbed the hem of Hinata's pants, successfully stopping her from walking away from him. Hinata blinked and looked down at Kalluto, resisting the urge to grin as she faked curiosity.

Alluka wasn't the only one who liked being carried.

"What is it?" Hinata asked.

Kalluto turned away from her and looked at the ground intently, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. He traced the lines in the wooden floor with his eyes as he bit his lower lip nervously. Hinata really did smile this time as she watching his fight back his embarrassed blush and squirmed in his seat.

"Yes?" Hinata urged him on gently.

He didn't say anything.

Hinata put on a frown and coughed to get his attention. It was successful and he looked up at her. "Well if you don't need anything, I'll be going now." The blunette took a step forward, ready to leave him, but was halted once more by the boy.

"W-Wait!" he yelled.

Hinata looked down at him and raised an eyebrow, inwardly praising herself for being able to keep up the charade. She waited patiently for him to continue, with her hands resting on her hips. If Kalluto had been his regular self, he might have spotted the differences between how she really was when she was curious and concerned, compared to how she was now.

The boy's lips flapped open and closed as he looked for words to say, reminding Hinata of a fish. He choked up and glared down hard at the ground in anger.

Hinata finally let the smile set on her face and knelt back down in front of him. She put a hand on his shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. "What is it, Kalluto-chan?" she asked.

Kalluto's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned, raising his head to look up at her sadly.

"I-I..."

"You...?"

He swallowed and looked back down at the ground, his hands clasped into small fists which rested on his lap. "I-I wanted you to carry me like you did Alluka-nii, too," Kalluto admitted.

Hinata's smile deepened and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him towards her chest in an embrace. After a second of insecurity (he was a lot like her in that, she noted), he wrapped his arms around her back and buried his face closer into her chest, loving the feeling of being hugged.

"Is that why you were upset? I'm sorry, I didn't realize that Kalluto-chan also wanted me to carry him on my shoulders," she apologized.

Kalluto pulled his face away from the soft fabric of her shirt and looked up at her, shaking his head. "Uh-uh. It's not your fault. I..." He turned away from her and looked down guiltily at the floor.

Hinata chuckled at the boy's behave and just pressed him back against her, much to his surprise. "Aww, you're so cute!" the girl cooed. She could feel Kalluto trying to bury himself deeper into her chest in embarrassment.

Unlike Killua, or maybe it was a lot like him, Kalluto always got embarrassed when she called him cute. But, unlike Killua, he didn't say anything against it. Rather, he'd always smile and look away. He liked being called cute, because he knew that it was one of Hinata's ways of saying 'I love you', without actually uttering those words. And that made him feel happy, so he didn't protest to being called that.

"Alright now," Hinata pulled away from him, much to his disappointment, "how about that piggy back ride I promised you?" she asked.

Kalluto grinned and nodded joyfully.

"Okay, get on my back," she told him.

Kalluto nodded once more and scurried to get behind her, where he wrapped his arms around her neck tightly, though not overly so that he choked her. Hinata gripped the bottom of the boy's thighs and stood up. She ran around the room, jumping over small objects on the floor, twirling around, and all around having blasts of fun with the boy.

Of course, Alluka was also included. They took turns riding on Hinata's back, and sometimes she'd even carry both of them together to their joy. But unaware to the three of them, Killua had awoken and was on his way to them.

* * *

**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!**

**P****hew, I'm finally done this chapter. Never planned for it to be this long, especially having to split it into two parts because it was so long. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, especially since it's much longer than all the previous chapters. I'm hoping to put up part two next week. I was actually planning to update much sooner, but with all the tests I had to take, as well as family issues, I was unable to, which I hope that you guys can forgive me for.**

**As for Cookie-chan's questions, I hope it's okay that I answer them here in my AN (it's actually not allowed, but oh well). Since you reviewed as a guest, I am unable to PM you. Well, I'm sure the others would like to know. So here are my answers to your questions!**

**Could I make my chapters long? Of course! If that is what my readers would like, then sure! But you guys, meaning all my readers, will have to review about this. I'll make them longer, like this chapter or even more, if even another person agrees to it. Also, if you do want me to extend the length of the chapters, please tell me how long you want them to be. 1000-2000 words? 3000-5000 words? More? Just review and tell me.**

**Is there going to be an update day? I'm not sure. I'm aiming to update once a week, though depending on how long you guys want the chapters to be, it could be much, _much _longer. I still have to update my other stories. I can't really promise anything, but I will try my hardest to update frequently.**

**Are Hinata and Killua going to go to the hunter exam and then some arc's? I'm not sure with that one either, honestly. I was just planning to do their regular life, as in before the Hunter Exam. Although, if you guys want me to do the Hunter Exam arc, as well as all the other arcs, then I'll do them. Just send me a review and, depending on what you want, I'll add that in.**

**I'm not sure how that's going to happen though. I don't know yet how many chapters I'm going to do on their life before the Hunter Exam. It might be a while until I go into the Hunter Exam and all the other arcs. But, if you guys would prefer me to do those arcs instead, and just skip all this, then I'll (probably) do that.**

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	16. Birthday (part 2)

Killua crept silently down the hall, his foot falls almost perfectly silent. The lights were dim in the hallway he walked through, so it made it easier for him to hide in the small shadows of the hall. His smirk was still in place, the air of mischief hanging over him like a cloud.

Softly, silently, he padded through the hall. He came to a stop at the middle of the hall, where it diverged into a different one, and slowly peeked into it. Finding no one, he jumped as silently to the other side and continued on forward.

With silence that no child his age should possess, he made his way to the living room, where he could hear the laughter of his younger brother and sister mixing in to one. His smirk widened and he tip-toed towards the door, his hand reaching for the handle, his whole being practically radiating his happiness-

"Ahem."

Someone coughed and he froze in his spot, his hand just hovering over the door nob and his face twisted into one of panic and horror. Slowly, the boy turned and came face to face with an all-too familiar figure standing behind him, hands crossed and looking at him with narrowed eyes.

* * *

Hinata let out a big sigh of relief. The room was finally decorated, which had taken a surprising long time, though shorter than what would be expected of three kids their age. Banners of all color hung in the air or stuck to the walls, ribbons where hung all around the room, pinned to the walls with glue. The small tables were put back to their original positions after the three were done using them as step-stools, giving the room a neat and tidy look. All in all, the room looked great and was finally able to use for Killua's birthday party.

Arms wrapped around her torso, Kalluto stood standing, watching with wide eyes the spinning figure of Alluka, who gave out cheers of joy at a job well done. The boy looked up at Hinata and blinked at her, as if asking if what Alluka was doing was right. Hinata just smiled at the boy and nodded her head.

An imaginary lightbulb turned on atop her head as an idea struck her. Gently unclasping Kalluto's hands off her torso, she knelt down beside him and gave the back of his hand a kiss, before looking up at Kalluto's confused and embarrassed eyes.

"Kalluto-chan, would you like to dance?" Hinata asked sweetly.

Unsurprisingly, Kalluto looked even more confused. Dancing wasn't something the Zaoldyeck parents approved of, unless of course it was when they were taught the art. Outside lessons, they were forbidden to do so, because the two parents didn't think it appropriate for them to do so.

But for once, Hinata wanted to try it out. She had seen it in a couple of movies where on their birthday, or in special occasions, a man would ask the woman to dance. Sure she wasn't asking the birthday boy, but she thought that it was alright. And the two Zaoldyeck parents shouldn't have a problem with it, it was a special occasion after all.

Although it was a girl that was asking the boy to do so, Hinata figured it was alright. It was a little changed, but that didn't matter. She had always wanted to try it, but feared what her parents would do to her. But now was the perfect time.

"Come, Kalluto-chan. It's okay. It's Killua's birthday, so I'm sure Okaa-san and Otou-san wouldn't mind. And if they do, I'll take the full blame," she assured the boy, giving a smile.

Kalluto furrowed his eyebrows in worry and doubt, but nodded nonetheless. Hinata grinned and stood up, pulling the boy closer to her. He continued to look at her with worry, unsure of what to do.

"How do you dance?" he asked.

Hinata's smile faltered for a second, but she quickly composed herself. "I-I'm not too sure, either..." she admitted sheepishly, a blush painting her cheeks. The only dancing she knew was what her mother had taught her. Unfortunately, the dancing she was taught and the dancing she saw in the movies was completely different, so she had no idea. But not wanting to make a fool of herself and look stupid in front of her brother, Hinata quickly adjusted her face into one of confidence, looking as if she knew what she was doing.

"Just follow my lead," Hinata told the boy, to which he nodded.

Outside, she continued to smile as she slowly took a step to the left to which Kalluto mimicked, inside however, was a completely different matter. _Let's see, it's step left, step left, then back, then forward. Left, left- wait, weren't those dancers twirling? _Hinata mentally panicked, she had absolutely no idea what to do!

Luckily, Alluka had caught them dancing and intervened, saving the day. "Onee-chan, are you dancing? Can I dance with you two?"

The two stopped in their dancing (if it could be called that) and looked over at Alluka, who stared at them in glee. Hinata mentally sighed at the brief break, but couldn't help but gulp for she'd have to dance with someone else.

"Please? Please? And can I do the boy's part first? I know all the steps!" Alluka begged, etching closer to Hinata.

Hinata blinked as she stared incredulously at Alluka. "Y-You know all the steps?" she asked.

Alluka nodded enthusiastically.

"How?" Hinata questioned.

"Me and Onii-chan always dance after watching movies of princes and princesses," Alluka explained.

Hinata blinked owlishly. "You dance with Aniki?"

Alluka nodded once more. "That's right!"

Hinata grinned as an idea came to her and she let go of Kalluto's hands, taking a step back. "How 'bout you dance with Kalluto-chan first, Alluka-chan? I-I'm not a good instructor, so I'm sure you'll be able to teach him better than me," she said.

_And this way I can learn how to, too by observing you two, _Hinata thought.

"Really?" Alluka asked, flashing her and Kalluto a bright smile.

Kalluto looked unsure and stared at Hinata with worried eyes. After all, Killua didn't seem to like him hanging out with Alluka much. Much to his dismay, Hinata nodded. Alluka appeared beside Kalluto that shocked both Hinata and Kalluto and grabbed to boy's hands, which she positioned in the right place, telling him where his hands should be.

Hinata sat back and watched as Alluka instructed Kalluto how to dance step by step, taking it slowly so that he could learn. The blunette stared in amazement as Alluka taught the boy, surprisingly calmly and patiently, appearing far older than her actual age at that moment. She silently observed the two, taking in Alluka's instructions and imagining herself in Kalluto's place, dancing with Alluka.

Soon, though long enough for Kalluto to memorize the steps, the two picked up speed and danced around the room. Kalluto's nervous frown turned into a smile and he briefly flashed it Hinata's way, before continuing on in the dancing.

Hinata grinned, watching the two dance and overall enjoying themselves. Something in her reacted and her smile was wiped off with a frown. She turned to the door, something tugging at her senses, the sensation increasing every second.

Hinata stood and turned to look at the two kids dancing around in the room. "Alluka-chan, Kalluto-chan, I'm gonna step out for a bit. I need to deal with something," she told them.

The two stopped and looked at her questioningly.

"Is something wrong Onee-chan?" Alluka asked.

Hinata shook her head and smiled reassuringly at the girl. "N-No, don't worry. I just want to get something checked out." At their worried looks, she decided to elaborate, "I-I get the feeling that Aniki is coming here."

The two looked alarmed, but before they could do anything, she stopped them.

"Ssh," she ordered, putting a finger to her mouth.

They froze comically, Alluka even going as far as to stop breathing in order to stay silent.

"Pretend that you don't know about this and continue dancing. M-Make sure to make lots of noise so that he doesn't know that we know. 'kay?" she asked, to which they nodded. "I-I'm gonna go make sure he doesn't see this room," she told the two.

At their nods, Hinata exited the room and proceeded to hide and wait for Killua to appear. She wasn't disappointment when he came tip-toed over to the living room. Just as he was about to grasp the handle, she jumped from her hiding place and coughed, purposely alerting him.

Hinata crossed her arms over her chest and looked pointedly at her brother, who turned ever-so-slowly and looked at her with the expression of a dear caught in the headlights.

"What are you doing?" she asked slowly, as threatening as she possibly could.

He jumped and quickly straightened, his hand going to the back of his neck as he turned away from her and looked at the ground sheepishly. "Getting something to eat?" he covered lamely.

"But that's the living room," Hinata replied.

"Uh..." His shoulders hunched at being caught in lying and he looked up at her with an awkward smile, giving a laugh of nervousness. "I... forgot?"

A tick appeared on Hinata's head and she hit her brother over the head. "Y-You just wanted to sneak a peek at the room!" she yelled.

Killua clutched his head where a small, comical bump formed from her hit and shrank in on himself, looking at her in guilt. "Ow, that hurt Hinata-chan!" he whined.

"You deserved it!" she argued back.

Hinata placed one hand on her hip while the other one pointed into the direction he had come from. "Go to your room! And stay in there until we call you!"

"Eh?" Killua complained.

Just then the door to the living opened and shut quickly. The two turned to look at the newcomers, who both had their hands crossed over their chests and staring down at Killua in disappointment and slight anger. Kalluto, although glaring at Killua, looked more nervous than threatening. Alluka, however, looked more angry than Kalluto, glaring down at her favorite brother and making her look more cute than threatening.

"Onii-chan, no looking!" Alluka said.

Killua chuckled nervously and quickly shook his hands in front of him. "Wh-What? I was doing no such thing!" he tried to defend himself.

Alluka didn't look convinced.

"Onii-chan!" she yelled. "If you try to try to look again, I'll be angry with you!"

Killua was struck horrified at the prospect of his dear and loving sister being mad at him. "N-No, wait. I'm sorry, I won't do it again." He hastily got up and put his hands up in surrender. "See? Not gonna look."

Despite herself, Hinata couldn't help but smile at the scene. It was cute how much Alluka influenced the silver-haired boy. She coughed into her hand and quickly wiped the smile off. Killua turned to look at her and she pointed once more in the direction he came from, tapping her foot on the ground.

"Aniki, go to your room," she ordered.

Killua gave another nervous chuckle and quickly bolted in the direction he had come from. "R-Right!" he yelled.

The three youngest Zaoldyecks stared after their older brother's figure, a dust cloud left behind at his fast escape. They turned to each once he was out of sight and grinned. Well, Hinata and Alluka grinned, Kalluto just gave a small smile.

"So how about we continue where we left off?" Hinata asked, making her way to the room they inhabited not too long ago.

"Yeah!" Alluka cheered, pumping her fist into the air. "But this time, can I dance with Onee-chan?" she questioned.

"Alright," she replied. "But after that, why don't we al dance together?"

The door closed behind the three and the trio went to playing around for the remainder of the time left until the birthday party started. During that time, Killua had once again tried to sneak into the room, only to be caught by Illumi and carried back to his room. By the time the party was starting, it was close to lunch time.

Kalluto, Alluka and Hinata stayed within the room, waiting for Killua to come. It was Illumi who had been sent to get the boy, and when the two walked into the room, the whole family, except Silva, who had opted not to go, and some of the butlers in the house, cheered at his arrival.

After that, much of Killua's time was spent with the older Zaoldyecks, or rather, their mother. Alluka, Kalluto and Hinata opted to just play with each other some more, knowing that if they were to interrupt his time with his mother, they'd only get punished. Soon, though too long for the trio, it was time to eat.

Killua had been seated at the head of the table, with his grandfather and mother at his sides. The trio, of course, were placed farthest from him. Alluka and Kalluto didn't seem to mind, and Hinata appeared to be alright with it.

The food was great and the present-opening was even better. Killua got lots of presents, of course. During the present-opening, their mother had been called out by their grandfather, who said he had to discuss with her something urgent. The trio plus Killua didn't really care, actually were glad that she left. It let them hang out with each other.

"Hey guys," Killua called out, approaching them with a box of chocolates in his hand.

Alluka and Hinata grinned and ran over to him, where they enveloped him in the hug. Kalluto walked over at the much calmer pace, arriving just as the two pulled away.

With his free hand, Killua patted the top of Alluka's head, who purred in delight from the motion. He held up his hand with the chocolate and grinned at Hinata. "Thanks for the chocolates," he said.

Hinata nodded at him. "N-No problem," she replied, a blush coating her cheeks.

"You know, Okaa-san freaked out when she saw the huge box of chocolates I received. You should have seen her!" Killua laughed at the image of his mother trying hard to contain her screaming, and failing.

"Y-Yeah, I heard her," she said.

Alluka bounced up and down in her spot and tugged on Killua's shirt. "How about me? How about me? Did you like my gift?" she asked.

"Of course," Killua said and pulled her into a big hug.

From Alluka he had received three new video games and he was ecstatic about it. He hadn't known that Alluka knew of the three games which he had wanted so badly, but didn't have the money to buy it. He had the sneaking suspicion that it was because of Hinata, as Alluka wasn't allowed to leave the estate, nor was she really allowed to even do much in it.

"Thank you so much," he thanked.

Alluka shook her head at her brother's words and turned to look at Hinata. "Onee-chan helped me get them," she said.

Hinata blushed as Killua turned to regard her with a smile and shook her head. "I-I didn't do much," she said.

Hinata blinked as she felt something tugging at her shirt and looked down to meet Kalluto's dark eyes. She smiled and rested her hands on Kalluto's shoulders and pushed him forward towards Killua slightly.

"Kalluto-chan also got you a gift. Did you like it?" she asked for him.

Kalluto shrank back on himself as Killua approached him and kneeled down in front of the small boy. "Thanks, Kalluto! I love the skateboard!" Killua exclaimed, patting the small boy on the head just like he had Alluka.

Kalluto's frown turn up into a smile and he blushed at the thanks he received from his favorite older brother. Beside him, Hinata knelt down on her knees so she was eye-level with him.

"Aniki, Kalluto-chan. Why don't you two go play on the skateboard?" Hinata asked.

Two pairs of eyes turned towards her, one looking anxious, the other looking slightly confused and uncomfortable. Hinata and Killua stared at each other for some time, both seeming to have a conversation with their eyes. Hinata looked at him pleadingly, begging with her eyes for him to accept. The two brothers barely spent much time with each other, so Hinata wanted the two to hang out.

Killua sighed and turned away from her, defeated. "Alright, but I'm warning you. You have to be careful on the skateboard, you might fall and hurt yourself," he told Kalluto, who looked shocked.

Alluka opened her mouth to say something, but Hinata quickly cut her off. "In the meantime, me and Alluka-chan will go have some girl time," she said, winking to Alluka.

Alluka blinked and her mouth formed a small 'o', realizing what Hinata was trying to do. She smiled and tugged at Killua's shirt to get his attention. Even though she was young, she wasn't stupid. She was much smarter than other kids her age and understood the relationship between Killua and Kalluto.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! Please? I want to have some girl time with Onee-chan!" Alluka begged.

Killua stared into her eyes momentarily, before sighing in defeat. "Alright, fine." He stood up and took Kalluto's hand, ushering him forward with a smile. "Shall we go, Kalluto?" he asked.

Kalluto smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically, a blush coating his cheeks. With that, the two headed off to Killua's new skateboard.

Alluka and Hinata exchanged a look with each other.

"S-Sorry, Alluka-chan. I know how much you wanted to play with Aniki," Hinata apologized.

Alluka shook her head at the apologize. "It's okay. I want Kalluto-chan and Onii-chan to get along more," she replied.

Hinata smiled gratefully at the girl, happy that she understood the reasons for her actions. "Now then," she started, standing and dusting herself off. "Why don't we go have some girl time?" she asked.

Alluka grinned and bounced in her spot, the vision of a wise woman vanishing into one of a cute and cheerful child. "Yay!" she cheered.

And so, the two headed off to playing some games with each other. After about an hour, they went over to Killua and Kalluto and joined them, who also seemed to have fun playing on the skateboard. Hinata was happy, the four were having fun and getting along. And, thanks to Grandpa, they were all able to play, for he distracted their mother, who wanted to spent the birthday with her favorite son.

With only Maha and Illumi the only family in the room, as the others had gone out, they were left alone for the rest of the time. The two older Zaoldyecks just observed, one smiling secretly to himself while the other stood impassive observing her and the other three. The butlers didn't bother them unless they requested something.

Killua bowed, a light smile tugging at his lips as he bowed to Alluka and offered her his hand. With his mother and father gone, he didn't have to worry about them finding out. Illumi would be a problem, though Maha was in the room and would deal with him. He wasn't sure why, but the old man rather enjoyed him interacting with his siblings, even if he broke a rule.

"Would you like to dance, my good lady," he asked sweetly.

Alluka smiled and curtsied back, lifting the sides of her pants slightly. "Why yes, my good man," she replied, taking his hand.

The two burst out laughing, with Hinata and Kalluto joining in. Hinata turned to Kalluto and offered her hand to him. "Would you also like to dance, Kalluto-chan?" she asked.

Kalluto looked hesitant at first, briefly stealing a nervous glance at the two observing them carefully, before finally taking her hand. "O-Okay," he answered, giving a small nod.

Hinata grinned and the two began to dance, joining in with Alluka and Kalluto. Luckily, she had memorized everything Alluka had taught Kalluto. The two pairs danced for a while, switching partners every so often. Unfortunately, their good time didn't last as long as they hoped, for their mother had finally come back. Luckily, Maha had warned them with a simple "Kikyo" and they were able to break apart in time.

Even though their mother took up most of the remaining time of the party with Killua, the three didn't mind it as much as before. They were able to play some with Killua on his birthday, so they were satisfied with just that. For the remaining time they had left, the trio stayed away from their mother and played with each other. They had even gotten a butler or two to join and had lots of fun. Maybe not as much fun as they would have if Killua were able to join them, but it was enough.

When the party was done, the three left for their rooms. Hinata ended walking them both to theirs. Kalluto was first to go, with Hinata and Alluka staying a couple of minutes with him until he was asleep. Then it was Alluka who went next. When Hinata was finally at her room, she dropped onto her bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Unknown to most of the Zaoldyecks, Killua had snuck into Alluka's room and spent the night with her. It was only the next morning did Hinata find out and she helped him sneak back to his room before their parents could find out.

* * *

**Hey guys, it's me! Yes, I'm alive. I know, I was out for a while. But it's not my fault! As I've stated in my GFA fic, my internet had shut off for almost a month, making it impossible for me to get on the internet. I couldn't even see the 3-4 new episodes of Hunter x Hunter (2011)! Grrr...**

**Well, at least I'm finally back. I'd like to thank My Black Rabbit and KoreanGal5 for reviewing the last chapter, it made me happy. I just hope that you guys don't mind this crabby (yeah, stupid, but I don't like to swear) chapter. I made it all in one day and have not gone over it to look for errors. I'm in a lazy mood right now, so getting me to do something like that is near impossible. :P**

**Now if you remember, last chapter I asked you guys a couple of questions. Unfortunately, only one of the two answered one of the questions. But I do know now how long I'm going to make my chapters. :)**

**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ**

**Since My Black Rabbit requested the chapters to be 2000-3000 words, I shall make that so. Of course, this could change if you guys wish it to be more or less. For now, though, they shall be 2000-3000 words per chapter.**

**Unfortunately, no one replied whether they'd like me to continue on forward to the Hunter Exam (and possibly further), so as for right now I am not going to add the Hunter Exam. This could change though, as well. If you wanted it added, and even all the other arcs, then please review it to me. Like I said the last chapter, I cannot read minds and as such, do not know what it is you guys want. SO PLEASE REVIEW ME WHAT YOU WANT!**

**I'm hoping to update sometime next week, so you have until then to respond. After that, I'll just do what it is I want, which may or may not be what YOU WANT. Keep this in mind, please.**

**Lastly, if you do want the Hunter Exam but want me to start on it right away, or as soon as I can, then REVIEW it to me and I (might) make it happen. That is all.**

**So remember, REVIEW ME what YOU WANT. It's not that hard, just click on the box below this AN and type in your review. That simple. Well, bye bye for now. :)**


	17. Torture

Chapter 17: Torture

A week had passed since Killua's birthday and Hinata was sent on yet another assassination mission. Although she didn't like it, she never said anything. Going against the family would lead to punish. A very, very horrid punishment. And Hinata didn't want that. The training she received was more than enough for her.

Before the mission began, Hinata had tried to go say goodbye to her siblings. Her father, which strangely was the one going with her on her mission instead of Illumi, had allowed her to say bye to Kalluto and Alluka. Killua, however, he had banned this day. When she asked, he said that Illumi was giving him some more training and her being there would only hinder him.

Hinata had nodded to that and left. Although Killua didn't go through the torture training that she did, he did regular training where he'd work on his strength and speed. When she had been told that he was training, she figured it was his usual training.

If only she had known. She would have never left with her father if she had.

"Hinata," Silva spoke in his usual monotone voice. "You're target is Yuu Hazuki. His two bodyguards are Sai and Kai. Kai is able to use _Nen, _but is an amateur at best. But it would be wise for you to not engage in a battle with him. The two are always with Yuu Hazuki."

Hinata nodded at the piece of important information.

"I'll wait here for your return," he told her.

She nodded once more and left just as the limousine her target rode in arrived. Hinata put on a smile and raced into the hotel in which her target would stay at before her target could get there. She needed to memorize the hotel and all possible escape routes before making her attack.

"May I help you little girl?" asked the hotel register.

Hinata smiled up cutely at her, the smile which she had practiced long and hard to perfect for just instances like this. "My mommy and daddy told me that I have stay in my room." She forced tears to form in her eyes. "But I don't remember which room to go to."

The guilt that hit Hinata at the woman's sympathetic look almost made her want to run away from there. She smothered it. Killers didn't feel guilty, after all.

"Aww, what's your name sweety and who are your parents?" the woman asked.

At the moment Hinata had told her she was lost, the woman had right away moved to kneel beside her. She smiled warmly and Hinata and placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll help you."

Hinata wiped her eyes of the tears and smiled up brightly at the woman. "Really? Thank you so much! Now mama and papa won't be mad at me. Mama's name is... is..." Hinata brought a finger to her lips, looking to be in thought. "Ah, that's right! Mama's name is Yuki and papa's name is Haru Tsukiyomi."

The blunette grinned and pointed to herself. "I'm Mai," she introduced herself.

Thanks to the little research she and her father had done on the way here, Hinata had memorized a small number of the inhabitants of this hotel. Her father had told her which couple was best to use for her to get into the hotel (no one was allowed past the lobby unless they were registered in). Hinata silently thanked her father for helping her.

"Mai, is it? What a cute name. I'm Nana, it's nice to meet you," 'Nana' said.

"You too, Nana-onee-chan!" Hinata replied back.

"Alright, why don't I go check which room number your at?"

Hinata nodded her head vigorously.

Nana gave her a smile and moved back to stand behind the counter (Hinata briefly wondered if that was alright to do). "Now," she mumbled and typed some things onto her computer. Finally, her face brightened and she said, "Ah, I found it. It's room 506 on the fourth floor. I'll request someone to bring you up, okay?"

Hinata nodded to the woman and just as she turned from her, she worried her bottom lip. Behind her, her target walked by with his two bodyguards. She wanted so badly to go and sneak into his room before he got there. She needed to get there first and find a hiding place. If she didn't get there before them, she wouldn't be able to sneak in.

Finally, after two long excruciating minutes of waiting, her escort came and walked her to 'her' room. Before the two could get on the elevator, Hinata begged the man as cutely as she possibly could to go up the stairs instead. After a it of pestering, the man accepted and they went there. As soon as they made to the stairs and the door closed, Hinata knocked him out and hid his body.

"Sorry," Hinata apologized sadly.

The blunette took off up the stairs and to the fourth floor where her target's room was. Not a second after she arrived the elevator dinged, signaling her target's arrival as well. With speed Hinata didn't know she possessed, she dashed to her target's room and snuck inside. Activating the Byakugan, she easily found a place she could hide and waited for her target.

She didn't wait for long until he arrived. His two bodyguards stood outside blocking the door. As soon as he settled down, Hinata silently walked over to him. Before he could notice what was going on, she knocked him out. Not having any actual weapon, Hinata grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed him in the heart, easily killing him.

Now came the hard part.

Hinata pulled out the knife she had used out of the man, ignoring the blood that spilled from the wound to his heart. She got a cloth and quickly cleaned it, before taking her backpack off (she had brought it just in case) and dumping it in there. She had learned (quite painfully) that leaving any kind of hint of her assassination would result in big trouble.

With the knife inside her backpack Hinata made her way to the window and opened it. She hoped that her father would be able to spot her and get her silent plea of help. She had no other way of getting out without alerting her target's bodyguards but the window, though the problem was that she couldn't jump from such a height without injuring herself badly.

Hinata sighed in relief when her father saw her and made his way to her. It only took him a couple of seconds before he reached her. Hinata stepped back to let him in.

"Did you succeed?" he asked in a whisper.

Hinata nodded and motioned over to the corpse sitting on the couch behind her with her head. "His bodyguards are outside the door blocking it, so I don't have any means of escape. Can you help me?" she asked, staring back up at her father pleadingly.

Silva gave a small nod and hoisted her up on his shoulder. He jumped out of the window, not even giving her any warning, and landing gracefully on the street below, where it was the most deserted so as not to alarm the bystanders. With a firm, but surprisingly gentle, pulled, he let her back down on the ground.

"You can walk by yourself from here on," he said.

Hinata nodded and smiled up at him in gratitude.

He beckoned for her to move forward. It was better to get away as soon as they could. Although he could take on anyone who'd try to attack them, he'd rather not go through all the trouble. Besides, his daughter was here and if they were to get into a fight, he wouldn't be able to fight as well. Hinata would only become a nuisance with her current power level and he couldn't take the chance of her getting killed.

The journey back home was long and by the time they got there Hinata's feet were aching. Silva, for some reason unknown to her, had persisted that they walked home instead of getting any method of transportation. So by the time they came back, it was already really late.

Hinata sighed in exhaustion upon entering her room. She was so tired right now and her feet ached so much, she was surprised that she hadn't collapsed yet. Hinata made her way to her bed and upon seeing it, she blinked. There was a note there.

The blunette walked over to it and picked it up, reading the contents over.

_Dear Hinata,_

_You have another mission tomorrow morning. Be up by 5 a.m. You will depart at 6 a.m and will likely not be back until night. Prepare yourself._

_Illumi._

Hinata groaned and flopped onto the bed. Another mission already? But she just got back from one! _This seems suspicious, _Hinata thought. She didn't ponder much on it, deciding to just ignore the feeling. If she tried to pry on it, she'd only get punished.

Hinata didn't want to get punished.

Deciding that it was time to go to bed, Hinata changed out of her dirty clothes and into nice clean pajamas and tucked herself under her blankets. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next day Hinata awoke at the exact time her brother had told her. She quickly got dressed and prepared herself for her mission. Before she and her father left (he was accompanying her once more), she had asked if she could see her siblings before they departed. Silva consented and followed her to Alluka's and Kalluto's rooms.

The two were asleep reasonably asleep as it was pretty early in the morning. Hinata didn't care. She was just glad to see that they were well. After visiting the two she made her way to Killua's room with her father trailing behind her. Before she could get to Killua's room her father stopped her, saying that it was time for the mission to start and he wouldn't tolerate any tardiness.

Illumi had been right about her coming home late. By the time she made it home, it was already past nine. Too tired to see any of her family members, Hinata took a quick shower to wipe off the blood and dirt she had acquired and then left straight to bed once she was done.

This routine continued for a month. She would wake up at early hours and come home at hours in which her siblings would be asleep at. When she was able to finish a mission early her father would always distract her until he deemed it was time to go home. Within that time, Hinata was never able to visit Killua. Even visiting Alluka and Kalluto was extremely hard with her schedule.

The feeling of dread and uneasiness also increased each passing hour. By the end of the month Hinata felt paranoid as she'd always be on the look out as if someone was spying on her and was always on guard, even when just alone with her all-powerful family or at home. She just couldn't shake off. Finally, she decided to ask her father the question plaguing her mind.

"Otou-san, how come I haven't seen the others?" Hinata asked.

Silva didn't even spare his daughter a glance as he replied impassively, "Because they are all busy."

Hinata craned her neck to look at her ever-tall father and gave him a quizzical look. "Even Illumi-nii-san?"

"That's right."

"Is that why Illumi-nii-san isn't the one coming on the missions with me like he used to?" Hinata asked innocently.

Someone gleamed in her father's eyes that she couldn't decipher, before he looked down at her with his ever-piercing eyes. "That's right. Don't ask anymore meaningless questions." Then he turned back up and looked forward.

Hinata didn't ask him anything else, knowing that it wouldn't end too well for her.

It was two weeks after her short conversation with her father when she finally got an answer. Silva couldn't accompany her on the mission that day because he had another mission to do with Zeno, so that left her with Maha. She still wasn't able to see Killua or Kalluto and Alluka, for that matter. That only made her even more uneasy on top of paranoid.

Unable to keep in her unease anymore, she asked Maha was what on her mind.

"Wh-why haven't I been able to see Aniki, Kalluto-chan and Alluka-chan?" Hinata asked.

Maha gave a small hum and turned to her, a smile on her face which made her feel slightly scared of her great-great-grandfather. "Isn't it obvious? It's because they don't want you to find out about little Killua's training," he stated bluntly. Too much so to be considerate.

Hinata tilted her head in confusion. "Training? But I already know about his training," she said.

Maha shook his head. "I don't mean that training. It's the _other _one. You'd only be a nuisance if you had been told about this. That's why Silva's trying to keep you busy."

Hinata froze at his words, her eyes wide-eyed and mind blank as she tried to process what he said. _Training? _Did he just say training? And _that _training? But... but Killua was still so young, how could he go through that training? She could barely stand to it, Killua would be no better.

"Now, now, Little Hinata. Calm down. You need to finish your mission," he told her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Hinata tensed at the touch and anger flashed through her eyes. She churned swiftly and knocked Maha's hand off her shoulder with as much might as she could muster, sending him her best glare. "No!" she yelled.

Hinata made a run for it but Maha grabbed her wrist, quite roughly might she add, to halt her. She squirmed and flailed her arms, trying to get away from him. "Let me go! Aniki needs me! I have to go," she yelled at him.

His hold on her wrist tightened to the point she could feel it bruising and she let out a pained gasp.

"It'd be foolish if you went right now, without completing your mission. My grandson will punish you," he warned her.

The blunette shook her head and hit him in the shin with her heel as hard as she could. "I don't care! I'm supposed to be Aniki's guardian, so it's my job to protect him! If I can't stop his training, then at least let me be beside him!" she argued.

The hold on her wrist loosened and she used this moment to escape from his hold and run towards her the direction of her home. If she had looked back, she would have seen the pleased looked on Maha's face, but she didn't.

* * *

Hinata had arrived just a couple of minutes after Killua was done with his torture training. Her lungs burned and legs ached from the nonstop running all the way to her house, which had taken three hours. She ignored pain and made her way to the room where Illumi performed her own electrical torture.

Hinata slammed the metal door open and stumbled inside. Her short legs unable to keep her standing much further, she dropped down onto the stone ground, her chin hitting the hard floor but she ignored the pain. She panted and forced herself onto her hands and knees. Looking up, she met Illumi's huge form towering over her, with Killua's pained form being carried in his arms.

"Hinata," he said, his voice cold and detached. "You're home much earlier than usual. Did you complete the mission."

The blunette gulped and scooched back ever-so-slightly in fear, although he was containing his aura for Killua's sake, she knew that he was ready to punish her. His black eyes bored into her own lilac ones, searching her.

"I-I," Hinata stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"You failed?" Although that was supposed to be a question, it sounded all too much like a statement.

Hinata's body trembled under his hard gaze and her mouth opened, but no noise came out. She might like Illumi and felt safe in his presence, she knew all-too well that it was dangerous to try to lie to him. He scared her almost as much as her father and grandfather. He was also the one who punished her when she did something wrong.

Hinata shivered, she could already feel the whippings that she was no doubt going to get. The hard leather whip ripping through her skin as she cried out; the blood that would gush out of her wounds in small streams, sliding down her body and falling onto the cold stone floor. She hated it. It hurt so much. It was so excruciating, the pain; so unbearable. And she would feel that pain once more because of her disobedience.

At that moment Maha stepped into the room and gave Illumi a closed-eye smile as he made his way to Hinata's shaken form. "We completed the mission much earlier than we had expected to and so we rushed back here. Hinata wanted to see dear Little Killua and I just couldn't say no to my great-great-granddaughter," he lied as helped her stand.

Illumi quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, deciding to stay silent. "Alright. I'm going to put Kil in his room for him to rest," he told them.

"Ah, wait!" Hinata called out to him.

He stopped and turned his head to look over his shoulder at her, an eyebrow raised indicating for her to continue.

"L-Let me go with you. Please?" Hinata begged.

Illumi thought over it for a second. He looked over at his great-great-grandfather to silently ask him for permission (even if he wasn't head, he still held authority over them after all) and received a nod. "Alright."

Illumi left after that and Hinata quickly scurried after him, though not before thanking Maha for saving her for punishment. He just smiled and waved her off, watching her jog after Illumi.

* * *

It was night now and Killua was in his room, fast asleep. Hinata decided that she would sleep in his room with him today. She didn't want to leave him alone after all what he went through.

Next to her, Killua gave out a low whimper and moved closer to her so that his head was just under her chin. Hinata stared guilty at him, wanting nothing more than to apologize to him for not being able to be with him in his time of need. She remembered wanting someone near her (particularly Killua) when she had first started the pain torture training he was being submitted to now.

Hinata wrapped her arms around her brother's lithe form and pulled him closer to her, her hand brushing through his soft silver locks. She knew from experience that such an act worked well to soothe Kalluto and Alluka, and applied it to Killua, hoping that it would have the same effect.

Killua's pained expression eased slightly at the feeling, though it was still obvious he was still in pain. He slept a little more soundly beside her, which Hinata was thankful for. That night, Hinata stayed up almost all night to make sure that he was safe and sound and more at ease. Not until his expression was much more peaceful did she let herself succumb to the darkness.

When morning came, Hinata was forced to go on yet another mission, though she silently vowed to finish it as soon as she could and get quickly get back to Killua to help him.

* * *

**Well here you go, another chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed this and at least found it a little sad and heartwarming like I did. Although I don't like writing, or even watching, Killua in a lot of pain, but this had to be done. I'll try not to have too many chapters with either of them being tortured (I don't know if I could handle that!).**

**Just like promised, this is a little over 3000 words! I'll try to keep it this long unless requested otherwise. Thank you KoreanGal5 for reviewing the last chapter, I was really happy! :D Also, I'm not exactly sure whether I want to add the Hunter Exam arc (and the others) to this story yet, which is why I was asking you guys. But thank you for responding!**

**I have yet to receive a 'yes' or 'no' for whether you guys want me to add the other arcs in (Hunter Exam, etc.), so I don't know yet whether I'll be doing it or not. Although I said I wasn't going to ask any further, I going to ask once more if you guys would like it. I'm not completely sure either, which is why I need you guys to reply!**

**Anyway, thank you for reading this and please review me what you guys want! I also apologize for any mistakes you will find in this chapter as I have not gone over it and as such, it has not been fixed.**

**Until next time! :D**


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